Butter conditioner



A. F. WILD BUTTER CONDITIONER Filed Jan. 8, 1942 Amt 0 n e: y;

Patented Dec. 1, 1942' UNITED STATES PATE zscssos OFFlCE BUTTER ooNpmoNm Albert F. Wild, Erie, ra, alsignor toGeneral Electric Company, a corporation of New York 7 Application January 3, 1942, Serial No. mp4s Claims. (CL 312-168) My invention relate to refrigerator cabinetsand more particularly to receptacles or compartments provided within the food storage compartment of refrigerator cabinets for the purpose of maintaining food, such as butter'and the like,

at a temperature higher than that within the main food storage space of the cabinet.

Many foodstuiis, for proper preservation, must be stored at a temperature lower than that at which butter or the like spreads .easily. Thus, when butter is kept in the usual refrigerator cabinet it is necessary that it be warmed up be-- which characterize my invention will be pointedout with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a partial view of a refrigerator cabinet of the household type provided with a compartment or receptacle embodying the principles of my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged partial, perspective, view illustrating some of the Fig. 3 is a perspective view, enlarged, illustrating in greater detail the structural features of the compartment shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a refrigerator cabinet III of the domestic type having a food storage compartment ll arranged to be cooled by-a suitable cooling unit or refrigerant evaporaton'not shown. The cabinet is of the conventional type employing inner and outer I have provided a receptacle or compartment ii. The compartment is preferably situated in the upper front portion of the inner liner l2 on the left-hand side of the food storage compartment and is recessed or disposed in the insulation, the

, insulation between the outer wall of the compartment and the outer wall or casing I3 of the cabinet being t inned down so that an appreciable amount of heat is conducted through the wall to the compartment. In order to gain access to the interior or the compartment, there is provided a suitably hinged door l3 arrangedto be opened into the compartment ll. As will be indicated bya study of- Fig. 1, a butter holder or the like may be easily removed from the receptacle ll without appreciably discommoding other bottles or articles stored on the upper cabinet shelf.

The receptacle ll may be formed of any suitable materiaralthough a suitable heat conduct ing material, as porcelain-enameled steel, for example, is preferred. In the illustrative form of my invention, the receptacle I1 is preferably positioned in the'opening of a suitable frame I! which closes and conceals the space between the receptacle and the inner liner and which may be formed of any suitable material as a plastic,

, for example. Ihave provided means for locatdetails of the compartment shown in Fig. 1; and

spaced-apart sheet metal walls l2 and i3, respcctively with insulation ll therebetween. An access opening is provided in the front wall and a suitable heat-insulated door It is provided for closing the access opening, and the spaces between the inner and outer liner or walls l2 and I3 are closed by suitable heat-resistant non-hygroscopic strips l3.

In order to maintain butter and the like at a temperature above that generally prevailing in the storage space H but usually lower than the mg and retaining the receptacle I! in association with the frame it. The face portion ii of frame It has an opening 20 centrally arranged for the insertion of the receptacle ll, the latter having a turned over marginal rim as indicated by the numeral 2| for engagement with the front face of the frame. The face portion of the frame is provided at its marginal edge with a laterally extending flange 22 constructed and arranged to abut the side wall ofthe cabinet, as defined by the inner liner l2. In order accurately to locate the receptacle I'I within the opening 23 in the frame, I have provided a plurality of projecting portions extending into the opening 20 for engagement with the walls of the receptacle H. In the illustrative form of my invention, I have provided extending portions 23 on the lower edge of the opening and an extending portion 24 in the upper front corner of the opening. It will be seen that the projections 23 and 24 will locate the lower and front portions or surfaces of the receptacle I'I. V

I have provided means for urging the receptacle into engagement with the projections 23 and 24. In the illustrative form of my invention, this means takes the form of a generallytemperature prevailing exteriorly of the cabinet, circular spring 25 so arranged that the loop par.-

tion seats in the upper rear corner of the frame as defined by the face portion H- of the frame and the flange 22 and the free ends, which are preferably curved or flanged outwardly as indicated by the numeral 26, engage the top and an end wall of the receptacle: s shown in Fig. 3. It will be seen that the resilient means 25 will bias the receptacle forwardly and downwardly into firm engagement with the projections 23 and 24.

I have provided means for securing the frame and receptacle with respect to the inner liner l2. This means comprises a long substantially U-sh'aped spring 21. The free ends of the spring 21 are held at the rear corners of the frame is in any suitable manner as by means of grommets or rivets 28 extending through loops 29 in the ends of the spring and suitable openings 30 in the frame. The container I1 is biased into engagement with the frame by means of the engagement of spring 21 and anchor members 3| secured to the top and bottom outer walls of the container H. The anchor members 3i are disposed laterally of a line through the loops 28 and the take-up members 33 in order to provide the necessary resilient bias.

In order to secure the frame and container at the forward end thereof, the loop portion of the spring extends forwardly well beyond the front end of the frame as indicated by the numeral 32 so that the inner liner i2 may be inserted between the front portion of the flange 22 and the spring portion 32. The inner liner I2 is securely held in this position by means of take-up members 33 which may be in the form of tapped or threaded fastening members extending through suitable openings in the frame and brackets 34 which are secured to the spring 21. Byf properly dimensioning the bracket 34, it will be understood that the spring will be drawn to the frame, clamping the adjacent portion of the inner liner therebetween.

In order to secure the rear end of the conditioner or receptacle II to the inner liner, suitable fastening members as, for example, screws 35 may be inserted through the openings in the grommets or rivets 28 and into suitable threaded cooperation with suitably tapped openings 38 in the inner liner l2.

In order to close the opening to the receptacle H, there has been provided the cover i8 as hereinbefore stated. The cover is suitably hinged by any desired means along the rear edge thereof as by suitable hinge means 31. lhe threaded fastening members 35 may conveniently be used to secure not only the frame to the inner liner but also the hinge assembly to the frame. Handle means 38 is provided adjacent the front edge of 'the cover 3 to facilitate movement of the door or closure member. I preferably employ spring means for normally retaining the cover in the closed position but inasmuch as the details thereof form no part of my present invention,- it has been thought unnecessary to describe or disclose the details thereof.

As has been hitherto stated, a certain amount of heat leakage through the wall of the refrigerator next to the receptacle will permit the conduction of a certain amount of heat which is thus made available for raising the temperature of the butter above the box air temperature.

I have provided electrical heating means for supplementing the heat leakage into the receptacle. In the form of the invention described and illustrated herein, there is provided a pair of eleccuit, not shown. In order to control the amount I of heat supplied to container or receptacle I1, I have provided a thermostatic device H, a control knob 45 being associated therewith. Any arrangement of thermostat and control knob may be employed but I have found it tobe particularly convenient to provide a control knob which is substantially round and having the edge thereof extending through an opening 46 in the front portion of the frame flange 22, and projecting sufhciently therethrough to enable the user of the refrigerator to operate the control knob by means of the fingers. The knob 45 is suitably attached to a shaft l! which extends into operative engagement with the thermostatic element within the device 44. In order to support the thermostatic device I have provided a bracket 48 which is preferably of heat conductive material in order to conduct heat from the receptacle walls to the thermostatic device.

In order to provide a substantially uniform degree of heat within the receptacle, I have provided means for deenergizing the heater element slightly before the desired temperature is reached. For this purpose, I dispose a sheet U of heat conductive material as brass, for example, between the heater and the thermostat and the receptacle, the sheet thereby being adapted to conduct heat from the heater directly to the thermostat. When the thermostat becomes operative to energize the heating elements, the heater, thermostat, and butter liner are at virtually the same temperature and cooling down. The application of heat to the receptacle wall immediately imparts heat to the plate or strip 49 which proceeds to conduct heat to the thermostat. However, the thermostat temperature rises more rapidly than the receptacle temperature and the thermostat operates to cut out the conduction of current to the heater before the temperature of the receptacle has attained the desired value. In other words, the plate 49 acts as a pre-heat device. Thus the thermostat actu ally controls the heater and the temperature of the receptacle automatically follows.

The butter or the like and a supporting dish may be placed on the bottom wall of the receptacle, or a shelf 5| may be provided on the inner face of the door l8 for the purpose. i

I have illustrated the use of a condenser 50 which may be connected across the contacts of the thermostat in order to minimize radio interference.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, I do not desire my invention to be limited to the particular construction shown and described and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and-scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A storage receptacle for refrigerator cabinets and the like adapted to store butter or the like comprising a frame having an opening centrally disposed therein and a laterally extending flange, a receptacle extending through said opening, a pair of inwardly extending projections extending into said opening from an edge of said 2. Ina refrigerator cabinet of the type havingspaced inner and outer walls and thermal insulation disposed therebetween, .said inner .wall

having an opening therein, and a food-storage receptacle extending through saidopeninginto the space betweensaid walls, a frame member associated with said receptacle forciosing the space between the edge of said opening and said receptacle,'and means for attaching said frame and receptacle to said liner, said means comprising a substantially U-shaped resilient mem her, the free ends of said U-shaped member bei secured to said frame at the rear corners thereof and the arm portions of said resilientmember extending above and below the receptacle, the closed portion of said member extending forwardly beyond the edge of the frame member, the material defining the edge of said openingadjacent the front edge of the receptacle extending between the flange. of the frame and the closed portion of said resilient member,

means attached to the upper and lower walls of said receptacle and engaging said arms of said resilient member for biasing said member intothe assembled position with respect to said frame, and additional means engaging said resilient member and said frame for drawing said frame and said resilient member. into close engagement with said wall adjacent the front of said frame. 3. In a refrigerator cabinet of the type having spaced-apart inner and outer walls with thermal insulation between, said inner wall having an openingtherin, and a food storage receptacle extending through said opening into the space t ettveen said walls, a frame associated with saidreceptacle for supportingsaid receptacle in inner wall, means for locating said recep, l0

tacle with respect to said frame including-a pluralityof projecting portions extending'into the opening in said frame, resilient means urgin said receptacle'into engagement with said proportions. and means for securing said.

frame and said receptacle to said inner wall,

- said means comprising a substantiallyU-shaped resilient member having one arm extending longitudinally-above the tacle and the other arm extending longitudinally below the receptacle, the free ends of said resilient member being secured to the frame in the rear corners thereof, the closed end of the U-shaped member extending substantially betop wall of said recepq-i-yond the front end of said frame, means attached to the top and bottom walls of said receptacle on the outside thereof and engaging said resilient member for resiliently urging said receptacle into the assembled position with re-' spect to said frame, said inner liner adjacent said opening extending between-said frame and said closed portion of said resilient member,

means for drawing said frame and resilient member together in order'to clamp said frame and said member to said inner liner at the frontend of said receptacle, and means for securing the rear corners of said frame to said inner wall.

a ALBERT l". WILD. 

